European Exploration un the Atlantic and Indian Ocean
Portuguese Exploration
Merchants weren't especially promminent in trading circles
Fishermen seafared the Atlantic and those people ended up bieng the early leaders in the Atlantic exploration
and the search for the sea route to Asian markets through the Indian Ocean
Prency Henrique of Portugaul ( Prince Henry the navigator) embarked on an ambitous campaign to spread Christianity and increase portugual influence
1415 portuguese forces seized the Moroccan city of Ceuta ( which guarded the Strait of Gibraltar)
he saw his victory as a blow agaqinst Islam
and strategic move enabling Christian vessels to move freely between the Mediterranean and the Atlantic
Colonization of the Atlantic Islands
after capture of Ceuta: Henrique encouraged Portuguese mariners to go to into the Atlantic
they discovered the Madeiras an the Azores islands
colonized these
tried to occupy the canary islands but failed
also discovered
Cape Verde islands
Fernando Po
Sao Tome
Principe
islands had fertile soil and good climate
cultivated sugarcane (with collaboration with Italian investors)
commercial networks provided ways to distribute sugar to the europeans
Slave Trade
Portuguese also explored west coast of Africa
they traded guns, textiles, and other items for African gold and slaves
they changed the nature of the slave trade by
increasing the volume
sending slaves to new destinations
dispatched thousands of slaves annually by mid 15th century
slaves worked on plantations on the atlantic islands
became a common practice
fueled the development of a huge, Atlantic-wide trade that delivered as many as 12 million enslaved Africans to destinations in N. America, S. America and the caribbean region
Indian Ocean Trade
Some mariners traded profitably in west Africa, but others went to trade Asian silk and spices
Sea routes needed to get to Asian markets, avoid Muslims and Italians
1488- Bartolomeu Dias sailed around the Cape of Good Hope and entered the Indian Ocean
Crew forced Dias to return immediately to Portugal
Voyage proved possibility of sailing from Europe to the Indian Ocean
1497- Vasco de Gama left Portugal to sail to India
Met a Muslim who showed him how to take advantage of seasonal monsoon winds to sail across the Arabian Sea to India
in 1948, he arrive at Calicut
by 1499 de Gama returned to Lisbon with a cargo of peppers and spices
Portugese merchants and mariners dominated trade, and attempted to control all shipping
Had ships armed with cannons and could overpower Arabs, Persians, Indians, southeast Asians, and others
Christopher Columbus
Genoese mariner Cristoforo Colombo decided to sail west to reach Asian markets
Geographers knew nothing of the Americas, so Columbus's plans made sense
The King of Portugal refused to sponsor the expedition
Catholic Kings, Fernando and Isabel of Spain agreed to sponsor
1492- Columbus set sail with a fleet of three ships across the Atlantic Ocean
Reached San Salvador in the Bahamas
Columbus returned with no gold, silk, or spices
Never acknowledged that his expeditions never reached Asia, though he made three more voyages
Around the end of 15th century, other mariners explored the Caribbean and American continents
European Exploration un the Atlantic and Indian Ocean
Portuguese Exploration
Colonization of the Atlantic Islands
- after capture of Ceuta: Henrique encouraged Portuguese mariners to go to into the Atlantic
- they discovered the Madeiras an the Azores islands
- colonized these
- tried to occupy the canary islands but failed
- also discovered
- Cape Verde islands
- Fernando Po
- Sao Tome
- Principe
- islands had fertile soil and good climate
- cultivated sugarcane (with collaboration with Italian investors)
- commercial networks provided ways to distribute sugar to the europeans
Slave Trade- Portuguese also explored west coast of Africa
- they traded guns, textiles, and other items for African gold and slaves
- they changed the nature of the slave trade by
- increasing the volume
- sending slaves to new destinations
- dispatched thousands of slaves annually by mid 15th century
- slaves worked on plantations on the atlantic islands
- became a common practice
- fueled the development of a huge, Atlantic-wide trade that delivered as many as 12 million enslaved Africans to destinations in N. America, S. America and the caribbean region
Indian Ocean Trade- Some mariners traded profitably in west Africa, but others went to trade Asian silk and spices
- Sea routes needed to get to Asian markets, avoid Muslims and Italians
- 1488- Bartolomeu Dias sailed around the Cape of Good Hope and entered the Indian Ocean
- Crew forced Dias to return immediately to Portugal
- Voyage proved possibility of sailing from Europe to the Indian Ocean
- 1497- Vasco de Gama left Portugal to sail to India
- Met a Muslim who showed him how to take advantage of seasonal monsoon winds to sail across the Arabian Sea to India
- in 1948, he arrive at Calicut
- by 1499 de Gama returned to Lisbon with a cargo of peppers and spices
- Portugese merchants and mariners dominated trade, and attempted to control all shipping
- Had ships armed with cannons and could overpower Arabs, Persians, Indians, southeast Asians, and others
Christopher Columbus